Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40909193›Full record

ArticleBMJ open sport & exercise medicine2025

Pushing limits: the acute effects of a heavy-load resistance protocol and supine exercise on fetal well-being.

Emilie Mass Dalhaug, Birgitte Sanda, Kari Bø, Wendy Brown, Lene A H Haakstad

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open sport & exercise medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Rethinking Prenatal and Postpartum Exercise.Delaware journal of public health · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Emilie Mass DalhaugDepartment of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sports Sciences, Oslo, Norway.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3892-1628
Birgitte SandaDepartment of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sports Sciences, Oslo, Norway.
Kari BøDepartment of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sports Sciences, Oslo, Norway.
Wendy BrownFaculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9093-4509
Lene A H HaakstadDepartment of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sports Sciences, Oslo, Norway.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objectives: To explore the acute effects of a heavy-load resistance protocol and exercise in the supine position on fetal heart rate (FHR) and uteroplacental blood flow. Method: In this experimental laboratory study, 48 healthy pregnant athletes (elite: n=7; recreational: n=41) completed 3×8 repetitions with one repetition in reserve in sumo deadlift, bench press and incline bench press. FHR and umbilical and uterine artery pulsatility index (PI) were assessed before and after exercise. Symptoms of vena cava syndrome were recorded following the supine exercise. Results: Pre- and post-exercise FHR remained within the normal range (110-160 bpm), but there were statistically significant increases after sumo deadlifts (p=0.002) and incline bench press (p=0.008), with no significant change after bench press (p=0.122). Umbilical artery PI did not change, while uterine artery PI significantly decreased after the sumo deadlift (p=0.005), bench press (p<0.001) and incline bench press (p<0.001). No fetal bradycardia was observed after the sumo deadlift or incline bench press, but one case occurred after bench press, resolving shortly after 3 min. Fetal tachycardia (>160 bpm) occurred in four cases after sumo deadlift, five after bench press and three after incline bench press, though none exceeded pathological levels (>180 bpm). One recreational athlete experienced symptoms of vena cava syndrome after the supine exercise, coinciding with a slight decrease in umbilical artery PI, but with stable FHR. Conclusion: The results indicate that highly active women, especially those with resistance training experience, can safely engage in a heavy-load resistance protocol, including supine exercise, without jeopardising fetal well-being.

Indexed as

AthleteExercisePregnancy

Identifiers

PMID40909193
PMCPMC12406897

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.